Robber accosts man in School of Science and Math parking lot, police say

A man was robbed at gunpoint while unloading his car Monday night in a parking lot at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, and the school was locked down for a time while a police dog tried to pick up the thief's trail, police said.

A man came up to the victim in the lot near the Royall Center a little before 9 p.m., showed a handgun and stole the victim’s wallet and keys, the victim told police.

The robber left on foot, however, and police called in a K-9 in hopes of picking up a trail. Several area police departments use dogs after robberies if the robbery is reported quickly enough and they can prevent people from walking in the area.

The state-run high school was locked down for a short time, police spokesman Wil Glenn said, then went back to normal operations.

A wealthy Russian man who has been the focus of media attention since the FBI raided his mansion earlier this month used a downtown Raleigh condominium as a “safe house” for guns, ammunition and cash, according to federal court testimony.